Improvement in knitting-machines



J. L. BRANSON. Improvement 'in Knitting-Machines.

Patented June 13, 1872.

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. l. .l 'ifi UNITED STATES JAMES L. BRANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-'IVIACHINES..l

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 127,954, dated June18, 1872; antcdated June 8, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

I, JAMES L.BRANsoN, of the cityof Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines,of which the following is a full description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Fig.l represents the machine one-half in elevation and one -half in verticalsection. Fig. 2 represents the machine, one-half in plan, one-fourth inhorizontal section on line x y Fig. 1, and one-fourth a bottom view onli o fw of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a section of the camcylinder, showing theadjustable cam depressed; Fig. 4, a similar view, showing the adjustablecam elevated; and Fig. 5, a vertical section, showing the mode ofelevating and depressing the adjustable cam.

lhe nature of my invention consists in anew and improved construction ofthe needle-cylinder, and in a peculiar device for holding the needles inposition.

In the drawing, A is the needle-cylinder;

B, the cam-cylinder; C, the frame; D, section of the standard forsupporting the thread-distributer; E E, bobbin-spindles; F, loop-holder;G, cogs or teeth for rotating the cam-cylinder; a, threadguide; b,spring; c, button for operating the cam g; d, button for operating theadjustable cam eyf, opening for receiving the cam e when depressed; h,opening for operating the cam g; i, cam-groove in cylinder B; j,shoulders or projections of the ribs between, having the grooves in A;7c, needlegrooves; l, rod or band for holding the needles in position;m, opening for inserting or withdrawing needles; n, hook to prevent therod or band l from slipping; o, slot in cylinder B, for operating theadjustable cam e from the outside; p, pins or stops for the thread-guidea. The parts A B C are vmade of iron, as usual. That portion of theneedlecylinder immediately above the cam-cylinder is larger thanusual,and larger than the remaining upper part of the cylinder, as shownat j in Fig. 1 and the needle-grooves extend out through this enlargedportion of the cylinder, The needle-grooves k extend down nearly orquite to the bottom of the cylinder,

as usual. J ust below j is a longitudinal groove, extending around thiscylinder. It is not as deep as the needle-grooves, and receives thevents it from becoming displaced. It has been customary to use a hingedband, covering the space, covered by the enlarged portion j of thiscylinder, which band it was necessary to remove in order to insert orremove any of the needles. The construction described dispenses withthis band, and enables the operator to insert or remove the needles withgreat facility, by. inserting them simply in or through the groove m,opposite to which there is an opening or space between the ends ofthering or bar l. B, and in which the projections at the lower ends of theneedles move, is made in the most usual form, except that said groove atone side of the descending portion of the groove t', is providedwith anadjustable cam, as shown at Figs. 3 and 4. This cam c is fitted into arecess, f, and is adjusted by means of the button or thumb-screw d,which passes through a slot, as shown at Fig. 5, by means of which thecam e can be raised and fastened, as shown at Fig. 4, or lowered, asshown at Fig. 3, so that the machine can be operatedby revolving thecylinder B in either direction, or a double movement be given to theneedles, if desired.

In knitting tubular web, the adjustable cam e is depressed so that theneedles do not rise at this point, as it is unnecessary and creates aliability to drop the loops by the latch closing over the'end of thehook of the needle in advance of the thread-guide in the nextrevolution. When the adjustable cam is depressed, the loops remain onthe latches until they are raised, just in advance ofthe end ofthethreadguide. A similar cam may be placed on the opposite side of the camg, so that the machine canY be made to knit a tubular web in eitherdirection.

In knitting a at web, the thread-guide a is held by the hand, and isreversed whenever the movement of the machine is reversed, and theneedles not in use are taken out, which is readily done by means of theopenin g m. It will also be advisable to remove the loop-holder F inknitting flat webs. The cam g fitting The interior groove 'i of thecylinder in the groove h, and which is operated from the outside by thespring b and button or thumb-screw c, is made in the usual manner foradjusting the height of the ascent or the depth of the descent of theneedles.

In order to operate the machine in either direction, the thread-guide ais made moveable in either direction, the movement being limited by thestops or pins p, shown on one side in Fig. 1.

In order to prevent the loop of the yarn or thread from rising with, orbinding on the needles, the loop-holder F is employed, the enlargedportion of which is made on the same curve as the cylinder A, and isplaced just behind the needles, so as to hold the loops down when theneedles rise, and insure perfect work under all circumstances. Thecylinder B is provided on its lower edge with teeth or gearing G, whichsaid teeth are made to engage with any suitable gear-wheel operated by acrank or otherwise to communicate motion to the cylinder.

Heretofore it has been found diicult to make those portions of thehorizontal groove t', which give the vertical movement to the needles.In order to obviate this difficulty, I

cut away from the interior of the cylinder B about one-half itsthickness, and about onequarter of its interior circumference, and fillthis space so cut away with three separate pieces, marked, respectively,l 2 3 in Figs. 3 and 4, which are inserted so as to leaveaperfectlyformed groove of the desired configura tion. The pieces l and2 form shoulders o for the support of. the upper end of the cam g, sothat it is held in position by the single pin or"" thumb-screw c.

That I claim as new is as follows:

I. The needle-cylinder, having the ribs between the needle-grooves,provided with the projectionsj, substantially as and for the pur poseset forth.

2. The wire or band vl, having an opening between its ends, and locatedin a groove in the needle-cylinder, below the projections j, incombination with the camcylinder, provided with the opening or groovefm, substantially as described.

JAMES L. BRANSON.

WVitnesses:

E. A. WEST, O. W. BOND.

